Kia EV5 Light+ review

The Kia EV5 sits in this vehicle segment. We were given the chance to drive the second-to-bottom-spec’d Light+ ($70,450) for a week to see if it serves things just right.

First impressions of the Kia EV5 Light+

There’s a consistent design philosophy occurring across the Kia EV range. The futuristic boxiness appeals to me and really shone in the test car’s colour of “iceberg green matte”.

The wheels weren’t my cup of tea, and friends and family also pointed them out as the only negative from the outside. But otherwise, the EV5 is a nice-looking vehicle that stands out from the crowd in the best way.

Opening the driver’s door involves an awkward combination of pushing in the handle to then lever it out. Inside reveals a sleek yet somewhat spartan interior of cloth and composite leather. It’s a flag that the EV5 Light+ is on the light side for specifications. The infotainment has wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – so, technologically speaking, the car is doing OK.

The Kia EV5 Light+ has loads of space for the front and rear passengers, even with the front seats all the way back. The front seat is a pseudo-bench seat, but that’s a facade as there’s no middle seat belt. Really, it’s only useful for the pocket where you can store flat documents, or squish in a phone. However, that phone will probably sit in the large central ‘tray’ instead. The wee bench seat includes a folding armrest. I ended up folding it away during my time with the EV5 because it felt a little uncomfortable to rest my elbow on. Packing it away gives more cabin space too.

The cabin has little rose-gold accents that my wife noticed immediately and really enjoyed.

The first thing I did upon entering the EV5 was faff around figuring out how to make it go. That’s because the gear lever is on the steering column. It takes some getting used to, especially when doing three-point turns. However, after a couple of drives, it becomes second nature.

Commuting and short trips in the EV5 Light+

My overall takeaway from my week with the EV5 was that it was the perfect family commuter. It combines space for children, including the immense amount of baggage they accumulate, with the low running costs of an EV. The elevated SUV driving position gives you great all-round views. The visibility is particularly amazing through the front of this car. You have a big, wide windscreen, the pillars up front are quite skinny and there are big side windows. It makes you feel like you can see everything around you.

I trialled the Light+ in the depths of winter. I had the climate control set to 24 degrees and the AC switched on and the airflow actually felt a bit chilly. To counter this, I turned off the AC. While the air started coming out warm, it also came out humid. That meant the windows all started fogging up. It was a bit frustrating: I wanted to be warm and see but had to prioritise seeing and embrace the chill. The EV5 models above the Light+ all have heat pumps, which probably solve this annoying problem.

The display for the 360° reversing camera is really great quality. It gives you a lot of confidence. The other thing that's quite good is the vibrating feedback that comes through the steering wheel when the rear traffic cross assist is triggered. It’s a great additional warning over and above the plethora of beeps when you’re reversing into traffic.

I’m at a life stage where my smaller passengers require a car seat. I found the installation way easier than in my Holden Commodore. That comes down to a higher seat height, so I didn’t have to bend as much, and the ISOFIX points were easier to find.

Road trips in the EV5 Light+

One great feature of the EV5 is the i-Pedal max setting. That sets the regenerative braking to adapt to your driving and turns it into a one-pedal system where you don’t really need the brakes. I drove from Lower Hutt to Martinborough and only touched the brake pedal once – when I overcooked a corner on the Remutaka hill. If I had my time again, I reckon I could do the whole trip without touch the brakes. It’s a super-smooth system that didn’t feel like the equivalent modes from other manufacturers, which can feel quite jerky.

The EV5 Light+ drove very flat through corners and felt very, very secure. I felt way more connected to this vehicle than I have to others.

The battery got more of a hammering than I expected, but the middle of winter is the worst time possible for an EV. The EV5 used 20.1kWh/100km against an advertised 18kWh/100km. That’s not bad in terms of charging costs. Where it impacts is in the range. That sort of driving was giving me around 360km of total driving from a full battery (555km claimed). It’s plenty for daily driving but means more stops on road trips. In Kia’s defence, I didn’t drive with frugality in mind.

The Light+ isn’t fast – the advertised acceleration from 0–100 is 8.9 seconds. Like most EVs, it feels faster than it really is due to the torque provided by the electric motor. However, when prompted, it was more than capable of overtaking meandering country traffic.

Final thoughts on the Kia EV5 Light+

The Light+ is a worthwhile $2,000 upgrade over the Light, although I wish it had heated seats. If I wanted them enough, I’d pay an extra $5,000 for Kia’s EV5 Earth model. That comes with a heat pump system, powered boot and some cosmetic improvements. I’ve also spent time in the top-spec Kia EV5 GT-Line ($85,450), and it was lovely. My notes read that coming back to the Light+ after experiencing the GT-Line was like being “downgraded from business class”.

What does that all mean? The Earth is the pick of the Kia EV5 range in my opinion. The Light+ is just fine, however. Plus, if you can forgo some of the specs, you can save a tidy $5,000 and get a very capable family commuter.

Are you in the market for a car like a Kia EV5?

Our hybrid and electric car test compares vehicles after we put them through their paces, undergoing over 300 specific assessments. We currently have test results for more than 60 different SUVs and compact SUVs.